Slovak PM Fico sparks controversy with coup accusations and EU veto threats

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accused the opposition of plotting a coup in a recording released online.

He also threatened to veto the European Union's financial aid for Kyiv and reaffirmed his opposition to Ukraine's NATO membership.

Fico emphasised that his government is prepared for all scenarios, including an attempted coup, which he described as a "maidan," implying it would be carried out through street protests. He accused the opposition, whose leader recently visited Kyiv, of promising to support Ukraine's NATO membership.

The leader of the Progressive Slovakia (PS) party, Michal Šimečka, reportedly promised, according to Fico, to send soldiers to Ukraine once in power. The Slovak Prime Minister declared that his government would never support Ukraine's NATO membership as it could lead to the outbreak of a third world war. He also stated that he would never send soldiers to Ukraine to fight against the Russians.

Fico also defended his colleague, Vice Chairman of Parliament Tibor Gašpar, who suggested the possibility of Slovakia leaving the EU. The Prime Minister stated that, just as the Warsaw Pact disbanded, global events could lead to the collapse of the EU and NATO.

The policy of the Slovak Prime Minister has been the subject of significant commentary, both internationally and domestically, for weeks. The situation escalated after Robert Fico visited Russia.

The Prime Minister's visit to the Kremlin triggered a wave of protests in Slovakia. Thousands of citizens took to the streets of Bratislava to express their opposition to the government's policies. Protesters chanted slogans such as "We are not Russia!" and "We are not Russia's rag!".